Is Kawhi Leonard playing tonight against the Utah Jazz in Game 5 of the 2021 NBA Playoffs Round 2?
Led by the gritty Kawhi Leonard, the LA Clippers leveled the Western Conference Semifinals series against the Utah Jazz in resounding fashion. Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue would've hoped to rely on the two-time NBA Finals MVP again in Game 5 on Wednesday, but Leonard's participation is now in doubt.
Kawhi Leonard was not mentioned in any of the injury reports submitted by the LA Clippers yesterday, but a grim update regarding him has surfaced this morning. As per ESPN's Brian Windhorst, Leonard is expected to miss tonight's matchup against the Utah Jazz.
The LA Clippers have also officially ruled Kawhi Leonard out of Game 5, citing a right knee sprain as the reason. The Clippers are already missing Serge Ibaka, who underwent season-ending back surgery. Leonard's injury will seriously cripple the franchise, making it much more onerous for them to beat the Utah Jazz.
How did Kawhi Leonard get injured?
With a little over five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of Game 4 between the LA Clippers and Utah Jazz, Kawhi Leonard bumped into Joe Ingles during a fastbreak and immediately clutched his right leg. This forced Leonard to miss the rest of the matchup. You can check out the incident below.
When asked about his right knee in the post-game interview, Kawhi Leonard had mentioned that he'd be fine, but that's no longer the case. Since Leonard's name was omitted from the initial injury reports, this seems to be a case of a late flare up.
What's next for the LA Clippers?
The LA Clippers played several stretches of the regular season without Kawhi Leonard. Ty Lue's men managed to thrive too on most occasions. Having said that, surviving this deep in the playoffs without your talisman is no easy feat.
Kawhi Leonard scored 34 and 31 points in Games 3 and 4 respectively against the Utah Jazz, helping the LA Clippers claw back into the series. He leads the franchise in scoring in the postseason this year, averaging 30.4 points per game on 57.3% shooting. Losing him for even one game is going to be catastrophic for the Clippers.
The burden will now fall entirely on Paul George, who's had his own struggles. Luckily, George has found some rhythm of late as he scored 31 points apiece in each of the previous two fixtures against the Utah Jazz. He's averaged 24.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game in the 2021 playoffs, but those numbers will have to go up if the LA Clippers are to stand a chance.
As far as lineup adjustments are concerned, the Clippers will likely be forced into returning to a usual starting five with Ivica Zubac as the center. Nicolas Batum had been playing as the stretch five all this while, but he'll have to occupy one of the wing spots that will be left vacant in Kawhi Leonard's absence.
Also read: LA Clippers vs. Utah Jazz: Injury Report, Predicted Lineups and Starting 5s - June 16th, 2021 | Game 5, 2021 NBA Playoffs